A new Ouadirou

I haven't been on here for a while as we went to Tafraoute, where it was very windy. We stayed for three nights from Sunday to Wednesday. The new brides are fitting in well. Youssef the student was there - he cameon the bus with us. The journey takes about 3 and a half hours across the desert. There are a few isolated houses on the way and they get their water from a well. The bus driver is a sort of shopping service and when he nears the village he goesto different houses to deliver stuff. A sheep was lifted down from the roof of the bus at one house. Must have had a bumpy ride. We made a toilet stop, which was very welcome.

Youssef is learning English at university in Meknes, but now he has finished his exams he has come home for about three weeks. On arrival he immediately began helping with the goats, which were being put into their night quarters. His brother Idir was there too. He took a test to become a teacher and is waiting for the results. I hope he gets a job.

On the first day I sat outside on a plastic patio chair with Fatima, Ammar's sister. It was hot there so we moved to the shade. There were plenty of baby goats to watch jumping from stone to stone.  I also looked into the smoky oven - really a small room with a clay oven inside where the bread is baked. Here they put the dough onto a metal plate covered with hot stones. Despite a chimney in the roof and two holes in the wall it's still very smoky in there.

Zhour,one of Fatima's three daughters, was using her knitting machine and she made one side of a jumper. I hope I will be in Morocco for her wedding to her cousin Hamid in May. I call him the original Hamid as he was from his mother's first family and in her second marriage she called another son Hamid.

Fatima's grandson Mubarack  came with his mum but he is still wary of strangers (me). We gave him some bubbles and he liked them.

When we came back to Rissani we had a long wait for transport to Merzouga, long enough to buy some yogurts, another 5 litres of water, 9 boxes of incense cones - all different aromas and to meet Mohamed, another teacher. We had lunch at the Panorama cafe and while I was waiting for Ammar to find a tailors I started on the chips. He came back and said that he had met Ali his nephew outside the hospital, where his pregnant wife Aisha, had gone earlier. By the time we left Rissani she had given birth to a boy.

After lunch we went to the tailor where I ordered a jellaba to be made. It should beready by Wednesday and I can wear it to the baby party. We visited the new parents and baby at Ali's father's house in Merzouga. The baby was lovely and I got to hold him. I saw him being wrapped in the traditional way in a white cloth held in place by a woollen rope with a cowrie shell attached to keep away the evil eye. His head was also covered with a white cloth fixed inplace with a small white scarf. Aicha looked well and happy. Fatima and Mohamed have come from Arghbalou to help with the catering.

There will be a baby party on Wednesday and we will learn the name of the baby.